English gun makers - reputations

[Milton Starr]

Well the purdy I got to play with on the plantation didn't look like it was a 80k gun. It didn't.make.me drool.

Oh yell why leave.out cogswell&harrison they make custom guns I mean true custom not.custom "features ". Also of those you listed who is.still in business. I wish I could find someone to make a sxs.8 ga under 15k . Greener said a sxs 8 would run 300,000$ and a wouldn't be done till 2019 . Yeah I laughed hard to. I like the shotguns I seen on c&h website though.

[Old and Reliable]

because a Churchill would be my first choice of all the "Best" London guns- The family was involved in shooting- live birds, clays, game on the wing- I also like the Churchill method of leading a crossing bird- at least the way I have understood it- you move ahead of the bird's head and with the muzzles moving, shoot- And McIntosh in his Shotgunning books details the 16 yard precise targeting for proper gun fit- I have handled two Churchill Premiere sidelock 12 bores- both the XXV series- and with the exception that I'd prefer 28" barrels over the 25" XXV, straight grip, small forearm, solid red Silvers pad- heck, as long as we're dreaming here- make it a matched pair- 2.75" chambers proofed for 1 & 1/8 oz. game/target loads- and choked 1/4 right barrel and 1/2 choke in the left- file cut rib--

[Milton Starr]

You know the.straight grip is something else. I've seen people shooting with regular pistol grip and maybe have a 20-30% hit ratio and switch over the the.english grip and have a 60-70% hit ratio. Me personally like the prince of wales grip.

[Old and Reliable]

Originally Posted by Milton Starr

You know the.straight grip is something else. I've seen people shooting with regular pistol grip and maybe have a 20-30% hit ratio and switch over the the.english grip and have a 60-70% hit ratio. Me personally like the prince of wales grip.

--My pre-1913 12 gauge L.C. Smiths have capped pistol grips, but are radiused more like a POW grip- than say a pistol grip on a 1955 era M21 with single trigger- The 1911 Ithaca Grade 1 20 I now have has a capped pg, but again, is a shallow radius- which I like- ditto the pre-1935 stock design on the 1932 mfg. M12 20 gauge my Dad gave me when I turned 11--

Now centerfire BA rifles- at least the Mauser98-1903-M-54 and later M7O Winchesters- with one trigger, I like the pre-WW2 design as to grip radius- Never have owned a Mannlicher with double set triggers, so I can't speak to that issue--

[C.O.B.]

I much prefer the straight grip, I think it's faster when your mounting the gun. You see very few English guns with a pistol grip stock.

[Milton Starr]

Well I think if its a.american ordering the.gun from say a maker.like.purdey it will probably have.a pistol grip. If the gun is being ordered for a brit then it will probably.have a straight grip. Never shot a gun with a straight stock .

[C.O.B.]

The majority of my Parkers are straight grip guns. once you use one you won't want a PG gun again.

[Milton Starr]

I like.the way.the.straight stock looks.on.the. smaller gauges.like the 16 and 28 but on the.big bores I like.the way the.pistol grip looks